Great Neck Empire
General Location: From Cape Ikumoa on the southwestern point of the Great Sea, northward along the coast, and continuing across the Great Neck to the Great River. The shore of the Ice Sea is also claimed from the Great River westward to the central point of Xalath's Mountains. Racial Mix: Humans 55% Xeph 20% Mixed breeds 15% Goliaths 10% Religious Mix: Twin Gods 52% Gods of the North 18% Agnostic 18% Atheistic 12% Languages: Aozarim, Oultaniri Mounts Military Civilian Individual Dire Boars Oxen Draft War Oxen Oxen Basic Architectural Style: Gothic Roman Basic Clothing Style: Humans: tunics and leggings, dresses, cloaks Xephs: long tunics, cloaks Goliaths: short kilt, cloak, utility harness Gift and Rest days: Name Day Type Aolan's Feast Midsummer Day Holy day/Rest Zarak's Hunt Midwinter Night Holy day The Founding of the City 1st full moon after Spring Equinox Gift Eothal's Festival Spring Equinox Rest Xalaphel's Feast Autumn Equinox Rest Xemilan's Marriage 2nd full moon after Midsummer Gift Deltar's Judgement 3rd new moon after Spring Equinox Rest Countries Country Size Location Great Neck Empire ~65,000,000 See above Total: 45,000,000 General Description The Great Neck Empire is strongly patriarchal and clan-oriented. Typical female roles are lawspeaker, teacher, and mother. Men do almost everything else, including being craftsmen, businessmen, and soldiers. Artists are of either gender, though traditionally painters and dancers are females, while sculptors and musicians are male. Clans are the basic social unit and own all property (or at least all property more than a single person can carry). This includes all land and businesses, where the profits are supposedly shared equally. Clanmembers who slack are given much grief by their more productive clanmembers, and many popular dramas are based around this basic social dynamic. The ultimate social punishments are exile from the clan for a set period, and permanent disowning of the person by the clan. Some people have been known to commit suicide rather than except either punishment (and this is more common as you ascend the social ladder), while others manage to get adopted, or marry into, another clan (more common as you descend the social ladder), usually when advances the new clan's own interests. A very rare few manage to completely overcome their burden of being Clanless - invariably, these souls are the subjects of legends and minstrels' tales. Noble clans consist almost solely of goliaths. Stoneblessed and half-goliaths (usually with a stoneblessed parent) are also possible clanmembers, but uncommon. Almost all of the noble clans are descended from the Nine Founding Tribes. Every noble clan has a seat (and a vote) in the Senate. The emperor has 9. Common clans are composed of everyone else. Usually the common clans are mono-racial, but blended clans are not uncommon. Half-goliaths that do not belong to a noble clan usually belong to a mixed-race common clan. Common clans can buy (very expensive) seats in the Senate, but the fee is levied periodically by the Emperor. Usually the fee is assessed annually, but when the government is particularly cash-strapped it may be assessed as often as quarterly. The Senate fees are one of the Emperor's primary revenue generating tools. A common clan can become enobled if it can be an existing noble clan in martial prowess, another in lawspeaking ability, and another in provisioning ability. This challenge has been successfully met only twice in the empire's history. Naming Traditions Nobles in the Great Neck Empire use the typical golaith names, but add a Patronym between the Honorific and the clan name, which is also prefixed with "Clan". So a typical nobles' name might be Ikumoa Thoughtseeker Eakelaason Clan Alenugaalea or Vaunea BeautifulArrow Gauthakdaughter Clan Kaeleoaki. Commoners tend to shorter, more prosaic names like Tamos Tomasson or Genni the Stunning, depending on their connections to their families. Marriage Traditions The nobles recognize three different forms of marriage. Truebond: An exclusive, supposedly life-long bond between a man and a woman. Divorces may happen, but they result in immortal gossip, and often at least the exile of one or both partners. Truebonded pairs are usually very involved with their children's upbringing. Clanbond: The normal marriage. While there may be an initial pairing of man and woman, the pairing is not expected to be permanent. Usually one of the pair marries into the other's clan, breaking all formal ties to their old clan. After a year, they are each allowed to seek other partners if desired, and with no stigma. However, the one who married into the others clan remains with their new clan. Clanbonded pairs are expected to be aware of the child's upbringing, and to participate at certain key points. Childbond:Strictly a dynastic/treaty arrangement intended to produce children. One or more pairs are matched together in a common sleeping arrangement. And remain that way until the female has become pregnant or a year has elapsed. The disposition of the children is usually spelled out in the treaty. The clan raises any children directly, and the child's formal parentages are not revealed, though the children are made aware of their siblings. Common clans recognize the same three forms of marriage, but are much less formal about them. Truebonded commoners may divorce without stigma, for instance. And childbond is usually the result of a careless fling. History and Other Notes History The Great Neck Empire is actually the second by that name. 700 years ago, the First Empire was at its peak, and included all of its present day territory, as well as Markand, and large areas the now belong to the 7 Tribes and Illigyr. 550 years ago, its armies weakened by the long-term peace, the Empire was shattered by the assault of Ikumoa GreatChief Alenugaalea and the unified might of 10 tribes beneath him. The goliath invaders sacked and razed Prilan, the capital of the First Empire, then retreated, having killed the Emperor and having rescued the many Goliath slaves that were being used as gladiators in the Imperial Games. In the wake of Ikumoa's Invasion, the First Empire broke apart. The largest part to remain unified were the provinces of Great Neck and Markand, which joined together under Markand's banner. The rest of the empire devolved into various warring petty kingdoms. Many of the most western of these were annexed by Illigyr, while rest scrabbled like a pile of crabs. 250 years ago, Eakelaa Emperor Alenugaalea led the 9 Founding Tribes westward, conquering Great Neck and the Western Kingdoms, creating the Second Great Neck Empire. The Noble Clans of the Great Neck Empire The Nine Founding Tribes Alenugaalea (Imperial Clan) Kaeleoaki (General) Athovenathithae Eaumuimanui Kemuomemuanutho (dead) Maeumovothiethinanokea (dead) Kaalaioavae Omomuuunavo'one (dead) Oakaigoomiagua The Newborn Clans Thakothuthuvonoo (calved from Oakaigoomiagua) Muaagemelothu (calved and blended from Eaumuimanui and Maeumovothiethinanokea) Nagoailanilavamelavai (schismed from Omomuuunavo'one) Nakaothuthalua (calved from Kemuomemuanutho) Kazirian (human) Atholouamelo (calved and blended from Athovenathithae, Maeumovothiethinanokea, and Omomuuunavo'one) Ilounu (blended descendants of all the dead clans) Namokooilekaakothithovavanua (schismed from Kaalaioavae) Belthold (human) Oneneaga (schismed from Alenugaalea) Timeline Year Event -1100 Humans known to have settled the coasts of the Great Sea. -753 Aolrak founded. -750 The Great Temple of Aolan built; the Rivide tribe is conquered by Aolrak. -640 to -616 Aolrak wars along the Great Neck. c. -550 Noble and Commoner castes established. Aolrak controls the Great Neck and the northeastern coast of the Great Sea. -534 to -500 Aolrak overthrows monarchy and establishes the Republic of the Great Sea -508 The Republic signs the first commercial treaty with Xalar. -493 The Republic creates the People's Tribunes. -390 The 9 Tribes invade the Republic, and sack Aolrak. -366 The Republic establishes democratic elections. -341 to -340 -326 to -304 -298 to -290 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Wars of Southern Conquest. The Republic controls the entire eastern coast of the Great Sea. c. -250 First Republic ship crosses the Great Sea directly to the Xalar Empire, and returns. The Republic is established as the pre-emminent naval power. -197 Republic defeats the Tribes of the North, and drives them from the Valley of the Lakes to the North Mountains. -149 to -125 The Republic conquers the western coast of the Great Sea, and destroys the Xalar Empire's first capitol. The Xalar Empire is now bound solely to the Inner Sea. -140 to -130 Civil strife in Aolrak between nobles and commoners. Tribunes get voting right in the Republic's Senate. -121 Eodar, the most eastern city, is founded in the Valley of the Lake. -88 to -82 First Republican civil war between Marathid and Sulta. Sulta wins and declares himself Dictator. -82 to -78 Reign of Terror; ends with Sulta's death. -72 to -50 The Tribes of the North invade the Valley of the Lakes. Kazer defends Eodar and the Valley. -71 to -65 Xarthak forms gladiator and slave army in the once-Xalar provinces. Eventually defeated by Craxis and Ponthe. -65 to -62 Kothilan's conspiracy to overthrow the Senate and aristocratic rule. Defeated by Xixero's vigilance. -60 First Triumvirate: Kazer, Craxis, Ponthe. -52 Craxis dies in attempted invasion of Xalar Empire across the Coastal Mountains. With his death, the Triumvirate dissolves. -49 to -31 Second Republican Civil War. -49 to -44 Kazer fights Ponthe across the Great Neck and down the western coast, establishing himself as one of the Great Generals. Kazer returns to Aolrak in -44 where he is appointed Dictator and then assassinated by a rival (Republican) faction. -44 Second Triumvirate: Antam, Xoktav, Leythid -34 Second Triumvirate dissolves. -33 to -30 Xoktav wars with Antam. Ends with Antam's death. -25 Xoktav declared Emperor. The First Great Neck Empire is born. 68 First Imperial Dynasty ends with death of Naru. 82 to 145 Pax Imperium; period of greatest peace and prosperity under Second Imperial Dynasty 140 to 250 Tribes constantly skirmishing along northeast border; many commoners flee across it to escape growing imperial oppression. 250 Third Imperial Dynasty ends, Aurel defeats Tribes, quells all uprisings on the western coast, hailed as restoring the Empire. 305 Xonsthan defeats another attempted Tribal invasion. 337 When Xonsthan dies, the Empire is divided among his three sons. 350 Ikumoa GreatChief Alenugaalea born. By 394, he has unified the 10 Tribes. 397 Ikumoa GreatChief Alenugaalea and the 10 Tribes invade the Three Empires, reclaiming the Valley of the Lakes and sacking Eodar. 398 The Great Neck is completely conquered. 400 to 405 The western coast is conquered. 405 to 411 Ikumoa GreatChief Alenugaalea crosses the Coastal Mountains and invades the Xalar Empire. The entire Imperial Xalar family dies during the invasion, shattering the Xalar Empire. 411 Ikumoa GreatChief Alenugaalea dies. The 10 Tribes return to the Valley of the Lakes, their ancestral homeland. 415 to 500 Berganthian Kingdoms form, collapse, and war amongst themselves, before reaching their final steady state in 500. 425 Merogathian Kingdom forms; while its borders expand and contract from 425 to 500 based on its success at conquering and defending against its Berganthian neighbors, and internal succession squabbles, the Merogathian Kingdom remains the strongest remnant of the original Great Neck Empire. 668 Eakelaa Alenugaalea born. 697 to 700 Eakelaa Emperor Alenugaalea and the 9 Tribes conquer the Merogathian Kingdom. 702 to 706 Eakelaa Emperor Alenugaalea and the 9 Tribes conquer the Berganthian Kingdoms. 707 Eakelaa Emperor Alenugaalea reforms the Great Neck Empire and declares himself Emperor. 710 The Great Neck Empire defeats Markand at the First Battle of the Great River. 730 The Great Neck Empire defeats Markand at the Second Battle of the Great River. 745 The Great Neck Empire sacks Markand City after the Third Battle of the Great River. Recent Events Star Metal Mine and Star Crystals Loss of contact with the Star Metal Mine caused mobilization of forces to determine what the problem was. The Cursebreakers were called in by the Xalar Empire and were instrumental in restoring contact to the mine. Demobilization followed along with a general lessening of tensions in the area. The potential of Star Crystals was discovered by the Cursebreakers, and the chance for destabilization was recognized. Secret negotiations were undertaken with all three affected countries. While negotiations regarding the newly discovered Star Crystals with Illigyr and Xalar have successfully completed, they have not yet begun with the Empire. This is a potential source of destabilization in the area, and should be addressed as soon as possible. See Star Crystals Negotiation section for details. Category: Setting Category: Cultures